Nanoparticles and microparticles are a new frontier in specialized disease treatment because they allow for precise targeting within the body. This technology could be especially useful for treating cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and blood vessel diseases. This area of research is new and we still don’t know how these nanoparticles interact with the different parts of…
It’s flu season in the northern hemisphere and with it comes fever, aches, coughing, and general fatigue. The flu comes and goes within a couple of weeks for most people, however for some of the population a simple flu can progress into serious disease and even hospitalization. As many as 8000 people may be hospitalized…
There is an ever growing body of scientific literature showing that the vapor from e-cigarettes are not harmless. The e-cigarette vapor has been shown to contain formaldehyde, glycidol, and other known carcinogens and has also been shown to contain the popcorn lung inducing compound diacetyl. It appears that there are two factors contributing to the…
Inflammatory diseases are becoming the scourge of our age just like infectious disease were the scourge of the past. The number of diseases that have a confirmed chronic inflammatory role are numerous and include: asthma, Crohn’s disease, hepatitis, atherosclerosis, and arthritis. Currently our treatments include acetaminophen (Tylenol), corticosteroids, or specific antibody’s to key inflammatory proteins.…
Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world with an estimated 100-140 case per 100,000 people while in the US there are approximately 57-78 cases per 100,000 people. Multiple sclerosis seems to more often affect people in countries that live further away from the equator. It typically diagnosed between the ages of…
We are beginning to understand more about how autism begins and the mounting evidence suggests that it is a combination of genetic factors and environmental exposures during pregnancy. There has also been mounting evidence that a family history of immune disorders is associated with autism (autism spectrum disorder ASD). Specifically, mothers with auto-immune disorders have an…
Your body has evolved an exquisite immune system to take down any threat it encounters. This system is made of up two arms: Innate immunity: like a town’s police force: It responds to all threats regardless of their type (non-specific). When it finds a threat, it immediately responds with all its might to eliminate it.…
Mental illness affects nearly all people at some point or another in their life. This can be directly or indirectly through the suffering of a family member or close friend. Mental illness is the broad umbrella term we give to disorders that affect mental well-being. One of the most common forms of mental illness is depression…
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